Apparatus for pulverizing and dispersing solid material into liquid suspension



Dec. 8, 1964 G. B.MOLLRING 3,160,352 APPARATUS FOR PULVERIZING ANDDISPERSING soun MATERIAL mwo LIQUID SUSPENSION Filed June 15, 1959mven'romf 1 United Stat cs Fatent O arsassz APPARATUS FGR PULVERIZINGAND DEPERSING SQLID MATEREAL INTQ MQUID SUSPENEON Gilman B. ,Mollring,2590 S. Westgate Ave,

Los Angelcs 64, Calif. Filed June 15, 1959, Ser. No. 820,273 2 Qlairns.(*Jl. 241-93) It is the broad object of this invention to provide aunique method and a highly versatile apparatus whereby a solid materialmay be reduced to the desired particle size and almost simultaneouslydispersed in a liquid media to thus make a hydrosol, oleosol, plastisoland the like.

More specifically it is the object of this invention to provide a methodand a device whereby a cold solid chunk of relatively low penetration,high melting point asphalt or similar thermoplastic material togetherwith its fibrous sack or container may be both reduced to small particlesize and almost simultaneously dispersed in the desired amount and typeof liquid desired.

Other objects of the invention include the avoidance of danger of anydust explosion and of heat build up within the mill housing itself; andthe complete elimination of the usual dust problems normally experiencedwith the pulverization of a solid by means of the conventional impactmills.

It is also the object of this invention to provide a pulverization unitin combination with a mixing or dispersion unit whereby the operator mayat will accomplish dry or wet pulverization with or without wet or drymixing as well as wet or dry mixing sans pulverization.

Other objects of this method and apparatus will be apparent from thefollowing specification, drawing and claims.

To fully understand exactly how and in what respects my process anddevice differs from the prior art it willbe necessary to point out thatthe present day impact mills belong to two general classifications, oneof which is an impact mill having a plurality of discs and the like allof equal circumference. These discs or rotors are mounted vertically ona horizontal shaft and are provided with impactors, shredders, cutters,hammers and the like. The impactors or hammers etc., may be ofstationary or pivotal type or indeed may be a part of each disc itself.In operating this type of mill relatively large pieces of solid materialare fed through a mill opening and the solid material passes downwardlyinto the path of the rapidly moving discs with their impactors. Thesolid material is thus struck with full shock of impact and is shatteredand hurtled against a stationary target area. This so called target areausually consists of a screen, screed, breaker plate, perforated plate,lugs, pins or ribs and the like. The solid material hurtled by theimpactors against the target area' is further shattered by force ofimpaction with same. It is very important to repeat that the rotors ordiscs of this type of mill are of equal circumference and as aconsequence the peripheral speed of each disc or rotor is identical toits companion disc or rotor.

The other common type of impact mill is one having a singular horizontalrotor or grinding table and the like provided with impactors, cutters,shredders etc., mounted on a vertical shaft and usually powered by aturbine type motor. In operation this type of mill relatively smallersized particles of solid material are fed through the mill opening andthe solid material passes downwardly against and upon the rapidly movingrotor and impactors etc. The solid material is struck by force ofimpaction thus shattering and accelerating the solid material to a highvelocity. The shattered particles thus acquire by centrifugal force andby impaction a high kinetic I have discovered that I can obtain improvedparticle I size reduction and at the same time achieve the objects or"my invention it] employ a plurality of discs rotors and the like withimpactors, impellors, shredders, cutters etc., mounted horizontally on avertical shaft. My discs or rotors dilier from the above mentioned millsin one very important manner in that I provide two or a plurality ofdiscs of progressively larger circumference as the solid material passesdownwardly from the mill opening. First the solid material is struck byfull force of impaction by a primary rotor of relatively smallcircumference and the shattered material is hurtled against a firsttarget area, following which the material thus shattered is directeddownwardly against and upon a secondary rotor having a slightly largercircumference than the primary rotor. Thus the solid material is hurtledagainst a secondary target area by increasing peripheral speed andgreater force of impaction and directed! downwardly against and upon atertiary rotor of even larger circumference than the secondary rotorfrom which it is thrown outwardly against the third target area fromwhich point the thus pulverized material is thrust downwardly into amixing, dispersion or temporary storage compartment which is providedwith a suitable outlet port or ports as may be desired by the operator.My device permits many variants in operation as for example: (1) Drypulverization, no mixing, (remove lower impellor or impellors). (2) Wetpulverization, no mixing, (lower impeller or impellors removed). (3) Drypulverization and dry mixing. (4) Dry pulverization and wet mixing. (5)Wet pulverization and wet mixing. (6) Wet or dry mixing by bypassingupper pulveriza-tion chamber.

While I have indicated primary, secondary and tertiary rotor ofprogressively larger circumference it is apparent that more or fewerrotors could be employed without departing from the spirit of theinvention. It is equally obvious that these rotors may be provided withany one or combinations of many types of impactors, shredders, cutters,maces, hammers and the like without departing from the objects of theprocess or device itself, and that such impactors may be separatelypivoted or secured to, or may be integral parts of the crusher rotor.This same logic applies to the so called target area consisting of oneor a combination of any of the following objects: projecting pins, pegs,ribs, screeds, cutter rings or similar proiections against which thesolid material is hurtled by means of the. rotors with their impactorsetc.

My process and device is implemented by two or more zones of impactionwhich consists essentially of primary, secondary, tertiary crushingareas wherein the solidmaterial encounters progressively higherperipheral speeds with progressively diminishing distances tocorresponding target areas beyond the periphery of the disc or rotors.Thus the solid material is struck harder and harder as it passesdownwardly against ever diminishing tolerances in respect to distancebetween rotor or discs and the inner wall of the pulverization housingto thus obtain improved particle size reduction.

This invention is a continuation in part of my co-pending applicationfiled August 20, 8, Serial Number 756,- 083, Method of Producing aComposite Liquid Bituminous Binder, now abandoned.

a in Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuingspecification and appended drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a sideelevational view of the crusher mill of an apparatus embodying myinvention, with parts broken away and shown in section to betterillustrate the construction; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus.

The Apparatus Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have showntherein, as an example of one form of an apparatus that may be utilizedin the practice of the invention, a system wherein a mixer 6 receivesfrom a surge tank 8, a mixture of pulverized material and solvent whichhas been processed in a crusher mill indicated generally at 10.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the mill 10 has a housing including a side wall11, a top' wall'l2 and a bottom wall 13 integrally joined to define aclosed processing chamber. Secured to the inner face of side wall 11 isa cylindrical wear resistant liner 14. Communicating with the upper areaof this chamber is an inlet nozzle 15. A motor 16, mounted upon a fiange18 on a tubular neck 17 on the housing top 12 at the center thereof, hasits drive shaft connected through a coupling 19 to the crusher shaft 2dwhich is mounted in bearings 21 and 23 on the vertical major axis of thecrusher. Top bearing 21 constitutes an integral part of a spider 22which is secured to and suspended from the housing top 12. Bearing 23 isa part of a spider 24 which is secured at 25 to the side wall 11 of thehousing.

The crusher embodies a drum 26 having a crown 27 presenting a frustoconical surface for deflecting chunks of material downwardly andoutwardly, having a bottom disc 28, having a frusto conical side wall 29of relatively steep inclination with respect to the inclination of crown27, and having bearings 30 and 31 formed integrally with the bottomplate 28 and crown 27 respectively.

Secured to the side wall 29 (e.g. by welding) are upper and intermediatehammer support rings 32 and 33 and a pair of vertically opposed lowersupport rings 34 and 35. Mounted between the rings 34 and 35 are grinderrollers 36. Hammers 37 are pivotally mounted upon the support rings '32and 33. Opposed to the hammers 3'7 and rollers 36 respectively are threeimpact target rings 38, and between the rings 38 are two impact ribs 39,the parts- 38 and 39 all being mounted upon the liner 14.

Mounted in the housing top 12 is a tubular fluid injection ring 40having an inlet 41 extending through the top 12. Injection ring 40 has aseries of circumferentially spaced delivery apertures through whichfluid is sprayed onto a deflector collar 42 having a large number ofapertures 43 for directing the fluid downwardly in a cylindrical spray,into the annular area above the series of crusher gaps 44, 45 and 46which are defined between the hammers 37 and grinder rollers 36 on theone hand and the impact rings 38 on the other hand. It may be noted thatthe gaps 44,. 45 and 46 are of progressively decreasing radial widthcorresponding to the progressively increasing diameters of the paths ofthe hammers 37 and grinding rollers 36.

At 47 is shown a relatively large chunk of asphalt material which hasentered the crusher chamber through the inlet nozzle 15. As the lowerend of the chunk of material 47 reaches the plane of rapid rotation ofthe hammers 37, smaller chunks of the material will be broken away fromthe large chunk 47 and will be thrown violently outwardly against theupper impact ring 38, Where they will be further reduced by explodingimpact with the ring 38. The finer chunks thus produced will dropthrough the gap 44 against the hammers 37 of the crusher ring 33 andwill be further reduced by impact with these hammers and by being thrownagainst the intermediate impact ring 38. The still finer particles thusproduced will drop through the gap 45 against the rollers 36 and will bethereby thrown outwardly against the tertiary impact ring 38 andpulverized by impact and grinding action to produce a relatively finestream of pulverized solid particles sifting downwardly in the spray ofsolvent liquid descending from the deflecting collar 43. This mixturewill collect in the bottom of the crusher tank to form the hydrosol 48the upper level of which is indicated at 49. Impellers 5d and 53 on thelower end of actuator shaft 20-, will continually agitate the hydrosol48 to promote the suspension or dissolution of the solid particles inthe solvent.

In the operation of the apparatus, the hydrosol will be drawn offthrough a valved outlet 51 and transferred to the surge tank 8 fromwhich it will be again transferred into the mixer 6. A drain-connection52 in the bottom 13 of the crusher tank, and a clean-out door 54 in thelower.

area of the side wall 11, are provided for clean out purposes.Supporting legs 55 and 56 may be utilized for supporting the crusher.tank at a suitable height for gravity draining into the surge tank 8.

The Process My improved process of pulverization will be partiallyapparent from the above description of the apparatus. In general, itcontemplates the introduction of chunks of solid material into the upperof a series of impact-crushing gaps of progressively diminishing radialwidths, in which the chunks of material are successively reduced tofiner particle size, while an annular curtain of solvent spray isdropped into the crushing gaps, commingling with the particles as theyare progressively reduced, and finally descending in a mixture of finelycrushed particles and solvent mist, into a liquid body of the mixture ofsolvent and particles in the bottom of a crusher tank. In particular,the process utilized a series of crushing steps executed by a'number ofgroups of crushing hammers or impellers,

V rotating respectively in a number of vertically spaced horizontalplanes, in rotary paths of successively greater diameter, and withcorrespondingly increased speed of impelling and impact action at eachof the successively lower planes of rotation. Thus, as the particles areprogressively reduced in size, the finer particles are impacted byimpellers rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the impellers at ahigher level which act upon the larger particles. This higher speed ofrotation of the impellers which act upon the finer particles isimportant in obtaining a satisfactory degree of further reduction of thefiner particles.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the processing of hydrocols, oleosols, and the like,wherein a solid material is pulverized and suspended in a liquid phaseand is maintained in suspension or solution in a body of the liquid,said apparatus comprising: a mill housing;-means supporting said housngin a fixed position on a vertical axis, said housing havmg an upperpulverization chamber and a lower dispersion chamber; an actuator shaftjournalled in said housing upon the vertical axis thereof; means forrotating said shaft; a crusher rotor mounted on and driven by saidshaft, said rotor comprising a plurality of groups of hammers rotatingin respective paths of rotation which are vertically spaced from oneanother and are of progressively increasing diameter and peripheralspeed of rotation from the upper toward the lower area of said rotor;means providing a plurality of fixed target areas on the inner wall ofsaid housing in horizontally opposed relation to the respective groupsof hammers and spaced therefrom by puiverizing gaps of respectivelydecreasing widths from the upper toward the lower area of said rotor;means at the top of said housing providing an annular spray of liquiddescending through said gaps and mixing with the pulverizing materialdischarged from the lower gap into said dispersion chamber; and meansfor drawing olf the suspensionof liquid and solid particles from thelower area of said dispersion chamber'in a controlled manner such as tomaintain a body of liquid filling at least a portion of said dispersionchamber; said shaft projecting downwardly into said dispersion chamberand further including an agitator secured to said shaft in a positionfor operation in said body of liquid in the dispersion chamber forinhibiting the settling out of the solid particles from said body ofliquid.

2. Apparatus for pulverizing solid materials comprising a mill housing;means supporting said housing in a fixed position on a vertical axis,said housing defining a pulverization chamber; means for deliveringchunks of solid material into the upper portion of said pulverizationchamber at the periphery thereof; a crusher rotor rotatably mounted insaid chamber for rotation on said vertical axis and comprising aplurality of groups of hammers rotating in respective paths of rotationwhich are vertically spaced from one another and are of progressivelyincreasing diameter and peripheral speed of rotation in a downwarddirection; and means providing a plurality of fixed targets of circularconfiguration in respective vertically spaced horizontal planes,radially opposed to the respective groups of hammers and horizontallyspaced therefrom by pulverization gaps of respectively decreasing widthin a downward direction, said rotor further including a drum having asubstantially closed periphery disposed circumferentially of saidvertical axis and radially inwardly of but adjacent said hammers, forconfining said chunks of solid material within said pulverization gapsduring downward movement thereof in the pulverization chamber, whereinsaid hammers are pivoted to said drum periphery on vertical axes attheir inner ends.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,492Stewart Feb. 19, 1861 311,258 Randolph June 27, 1885 598,646 SaundersFeb. 8, 1898 1,220,257 Molander Mar. 27, 1917 1,458,542 Plauson June 12,1923 1,956,293 Klein Apr. 24, 1934 2,370,200 Shabaker -1 Feb. 27, 19452,460,546 Stephanotl Feb. 1, 1949' 2,614,756 Ferguson Oct. 21, 19522,769,785 Walker Nov. 6, 1956 3,067,013 Lamb Dec. 4, 1962

1. APPARATUS FOR THE PROCESSING OF HYDROCOLS, OLEOSOLS, AND THE LIKE,WHEREIN A SOLID MATERIAL IS PULVERIZED AND SUSPENDED IN A LIQUID PHASEAND IS MAINTAINED IN SUSPENSION OR SOLUTION IN A BODY OF THE LOQUID,SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A MILL HOUSING; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID HOUSINGIN A FIXED POSITION ON A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN UPPERPULVERIZATION CHAMBER AND A LOWER DISPERSION CHAMBER; AN ACTUATOR SHAFTJOURNALLED IN SAID HOUSING UPON THE VERTICAL AXIS THEREOF; MEANS FORROTATING SAID SHAFT; A CRUSHER ROTOR MOUNTED ON AND DRIVEN BY SAIDSHAFT, SAID ROTOR COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OF HAMMERS ROTATINGIN RESPECTIVE PATHS OF ROTATION WHICH ARE VERTICALLY SPACED FROM ONEANOTHER AND ARE OF PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING DIAMETER AND PERIPHERALSPEED OF ROTATION FROM THE UPPER TOWARD THE LOWER AREA OF SAID ROTOR;MEANS PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF FIXED TARGET AREAS ON THE INNER WALL OFSAID HOUSING IN HORIZONTALLY OPPOSED RELATION TO THE RESPECTIVE GROUPSOF HAMMERS AND SPACED THEREFROM BY PULVERIZING GAPS OF RESPECTIVELYDECREASING WIDTHS FROM THE UPPER TOWARD THE LOWER AREA OF SAID ROTOR;MEANS AT THE TOP OF SAID HOUSING PROVIDING AN ANNULAR SPRAY OF LIQUIDDESCENDING THROUGH SAID GAPS AND MIXING WITH THE PULVERIZING MATERIALDISCHARGED FROM THE LOWER GAP INTO SAID DISPERSION CHAMBER; AND MEANSFOR DRAWING OFF THE SUSPENSION OF LIQUID AND SOLID PARTICLES FROM THELOWER AREA OF SAID DISPERSION CHAMBER IN A CONTROLLED MANNER SUCH AS TOMAINTAIN A BODY OF LIQUID FILLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID DISPERSIONCHAMBER; SAID SHAFT PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID DISPERSION CHAMBERAND FURTHER INCLUDING AN AGITATOR SECURED TO SAID SHAFT IN A POSITIONFOR OPERATION IN SAID BODY OF LIQUID IN THE DISPERSION CHAMBER FORINHIBITING THE SETTLING OUT OF THE SOLID PARTICLES FROM SAID BODY OFLIQUID.